Google Play Adds Free Trials

October 10, 2012

By Developer.com Staff

Google is rolling out a new free trial feature for its Google Play app store. Mobile development firms that offer Android apps on a subscription basis can choose to offer their wares at no charge for a week or more. Google explained how it works: "To take advantage of a free trial, a user must 'purchase' the full subscription through the standard In-app Billing flow, providing a valid form of payment to use for billing and completing the normal purchase transaction. However, the user is not charged any money, since the initial period corresponds to the free trial. Instead, Google Play records a transaction of $0.00 and the subscription is marked as purchased for the duration of the trial period or until cancellation."

Developers have the option of automatically charging users the full price once the trial period ends.